PLAYING THE PONIES

Sam Houston Race Park selections for Friday, Jan. 10

SHRP



Here are my selections for opening night at Sam Houston Race Park. These are not meant to be in exact order, but merely the four horses I think have the best chance to win. For beginners, I suggest exacta boxes with three horses, using two of mine and one of your own. And you can always pick up a copy of Acing Racing 2016 to learn everything you need to know. (These are the picks and format that are available on the free tip sheet at SHRP). We will be doing The Blitz from 4-7 at the track so please drop by.

FIRST
5-2-8-3
JERSEY CUT will be a short price but class plunge puts her in the mix

SECOND
7-5-3-6
California shipper EXCAVATION has been in tough out West and works here are solid

THIRD
5-7-3-12
LADY SHAMAN has solid works for a barn that has a lot of win early runners

FOURTH
1-8-12-10
JAZZ MUSIC gets back to a sensible level and should be competitive here

FIFTH
11-4-2-8
VALID DECISION has a good record over the surface and could surprise here

SIXTH

6-2-3-5
CATKINS might be better if this is off the turf, but contender either way

SEVENTH
6-9-8-11
DARK ARDEN was competitive on a tough circuit and fits well here

EIGHTH
9-6-2-8
SILVER CITY TRICK has been knocking heads with tough runners in Oklahoma

NINTH
3-8-1-2
FLEETA BELLE has been close in last two and might break through here

TENTH
4-6-11-1

DOC'S CLASS ACT faced a couple tough fields in Oklahoma; fits well here



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The Houston Texans approach to the offseason has caused quite a bit of controversy among Texans fans and media. Some really like what the team is doing in free agency, while others are underwhelmed.

But the argument that keeps getting thrown around is whether the Texans are ready to win this season, or if the team will have to suffer through another disappointing season. Most would agree the Texans roster has a number of holes, but how will that roster look after the NFL Draft and hopefully a new franchise QB is taking snaps for the team?

The great thing about the NFL is how fast teams can turn things around and start winning. When we looked at the teams coming off a bad season and drafting around the Texans in 2021, many of them showed a huge improvement the following season.

The Lions were 3-13-1 in 2021, last year? 9-8. The Jaguars went 3-14 in 2021. Last year they won the AFC South and notched a playoff win over the Chargers. Look at the New York Giants, they went 4-13 in 2021. They improved to 9-7-1 and also won a playoff game just one year later. And don't get us started on the Jets. They went 4-13 in 2021, improved to 7-10 with bad QB play, and now Aaron Rodgers wants to play there.

The point being, most of these teams hired new coaches in the last couple of years, added some talent through the draft and free agency and started winning. Why are Texans fans and media so convinced they're in for another season of losing? Why can't the Texans be the team that turns things around and competes for a division title? Especially if they land a franchise QB as expected.

The AFC South isn't a very tough division. In fact, the Texans beat the Jags, Colts, and Titans just this year. Shouldn't we expect them to take a step forward with better players and DeMeco Ryans leading the way?

Be sure to check out the video above as we break it all down!

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